President Pranab Mukherjee presents Padma Awards to Cho Ramaswamy, Kailash Kher

President Pranab Mukherjee confers Padma Shri on Singer Kailash Kher during Padma Awards 2017 function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. Pic/PTI

New Delhi: Tamil actor, editor and political satirist Cho Ramaswamy, playback singer Kailash Kher, multilingual singer K.J. Yesudas, and young sportswomen Dipa Karmakar and Sakshi Malik were among the prominent personalities presented Padma Awards by President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Thursday.

In all, 89 personalities were presented the awards that were announced on Republic Day-eve this year.

Mukherjee presented the awards at a Civil Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Padma Awards -- the highest civilian awards of India -- are categorised as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

Political commentator the late Cho Ramaswamy's wife Soundara Ramaswamy receiving Padma Bhushan from President Pranab Mukherjee on behalf of her husband during Padma Awards 2017 function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. Pic/PTI

Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, Padma Bhushan is given for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri' for distinguished service in the field of art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service and others.